Cheong Wa Dae: Japan apologized for 'distorted' GSOMIA deal announcement

BUSAN -- The office of President Moon Jae-in stressed Monday that Japan has apologized to South Korea for a controversy over its announcement on an agreement related to the suspension of Seoul's decision to end a bilateral military intelligence-sharing accord.Cheong Wa Dae was defending itself from criticism that it has made unilateral concessions to Japan apparently in a bid to avoid an impact to the Seoul-Washington alliance.Making public its decision to conditionally and temporarily extend GS

Foreign AffairsNov. 25, 2019

Samsung Heavy wins $1.5b LNG ship order

Samsung Heavy Industries Co., the world's second-biggest shipbuilder by orders, said Monday it has received a $1.5 billion LNG carrier order.Under the deal with an unidentified client in the Eurasian region, Samsung will build the LNG carrier by September 2022, the company said in a regulatory filing. The company didn't provide further details. The shipbuilder has bagged $6.9 billion worth of orders so far this year, achieving 88 percent of this year's order target of $7.8 billion, it said.

IndustryNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] S. Korea-ASEAN summit to open in Busan, prologue to 'New Southern Policy 2.0'

BUSAN -- A special group summit between South Korea and the 10 Southeast Asian nations will get under way in Busan on Monday, which Seoul views as another milestone in bilateral partnerships amid its signature New Southern Policy.President Moon Jae-in has invited the leaders of the ASEAN member states to the two-day event in Busan, his hometown, meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their dialogue relationship.Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has canceled his plan to attend it, saying his m

Foreign AffairsNov. 25, 2019

NK leader inspects military unit on border islet

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a front-line military unit on an island just north of the western sea border with South Korea, Pyongyang's official news agency said Monday, in his third trip to military installations this month. Kim "inspected the Changrin Islet defense detachment on the western front," according to the Korean Central News Agency in English. The islet lies just north of the Northern Limit Line, a de facto maritime border with South Korea, which was the si

North KoreaNov. 25, 2019

Hong Kong democracy camp heads for stunning polls win: local media

HONG KONG (AFP) -- Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp was headed for a thumping victory in district council elections, local media reported on Monday, a vote widely seen as a referendum on the Beijing-backed government's handling of months of violent political unrest.Counting was still under way following record turnout in Sunday's elections, but results so far indicated that candidates favouring calls for greater democracy were on course to seize a shock majority of the 452 seats contested, media r

World NewsNov. 25, 2019

Railway workers end strike with deal with management

Unionized railway workers ended their no-time-limit strike Monday following a five-day walkout, as they reached a deal with the management over a pay raise and better working conditions.After marathon talks, the labor union and the Korea Railroad Corp., the operator of train services, struck an agreement to withdraw a work stoppage that started Wednesday. As of 9 a.m., the striking workers had returned to work.Bullet KTX train operations and other services nationwide will be put on the normal tr

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2019

S. Korean Kim Sei-young wins LPGA season finale, hits $1.5m jackpot

South Korea's Kim Sei-young has captured the final tournament of the 2019 LPGA season, for her third title of the year and 10th of her career, hitting the jackpot with the largest purse in women's golf history.With a lengthy birdie putt on the 72nd hole, Kim completed a wire-to-wire victory at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, on Sunday (local time). The finishing birdie gave Kim a final round of two-under 70 for a four-day total of 18-under 280, one better than Charley Hull of

GolfNov. 25, 2019

FM says Busan summit to elevate S. Korea-ASEAN ties to another level

BUSAN -- The South Korea-ASEAN summit will serve as a venue for the participating countries to further elevate their relations to another level for the next few decades and beyond, South Korea's top diplomat said Sunday. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the remark ahead of the official opening of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit slated for Monday. "The 30-year-old Korea-ASEAN relationship is at another point of a grand transition

Foreign AffairsNov. 24, 2019

K-pop diva Goo Ha-ra found dead at her home

Goo Ha-ra, a K-pop diva and member of girl band KARA, was found dead Sunday at her home, police said.An acquaintance of the 28-year-old found her dead at around 6 p.m. at her home in Seoul's Gangnam Ward and notified the police and firefighters, the police said.The police said they are currently looking into the exact cause of and reason for the death, keeping the possibility of suicide in consideration. Goo debuted in 2008 as a member of the female K-pop band, which enjoyed sensational populari

PeopleNov. 24, 2019

Top Seoul official warns Japan against provocations over trade, GSOMIA

BUSAN -- Japan should refrain from provoking South Korea over the trade and military information sharing agreement, a high-level government official said Sunday. Chung Eui-yong, Seoul's national security office chief, also said that Seoul lodged a firm complaint over Japanese government’s announcement on Friday, and said that Tokyo offered an apology and confirmed that the Seoul-Tokyo agreement remains the same. Chung went on to issue a warning to Tokyo saying that he would like to say &ld

Foreign AffairsNov. 24, 2019

[Newsmaker] At Korean universities, standoff between pro-HK protesters and Chinese students escalates

About 200 college students gathered Saturday afternoon at Seoul Plaza and marched some 2 kilometers toward the Chinese Embassy in Jung-gu, central Seoul, in a rally opposing police brutality against protesters in Hong Kong.“We condemn state violence,” the students said. “Leaders in Korea and around the world are turning a blind eye to the horrors in Hong Kong in fear of the communist government of China.”The rally was the first large-scale off-campus protest held by colle

Social AffairsNov. 24, 2019

[Graphic News] ASEAN members

ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The political and economic community comprises 10 member countries.

WorldNov. 24, 2019

Kim Whan-ki’s blue dot painting sets record for Korean painters

South Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki’s major dot painting set a record for Korean painters at an auction in Hong Kong.“Universe 5-IV-71 #200” by the late Kim sold for HK$88 million ($11.2 million) at a Christie’s auction at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday. It is the first Korean painting to fetch more than 10 billion won ($8.48 million) at an auction, topping Kim’s previous record-setter, “3-II-72 #220,” a painting of

Arts & DesignNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] [Contribution] 30 years of ASEAN-Korea partnership: From prosperity to peace with people

The third ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit is being held from Monday to Wednesday this week in Busan. The summit of national leaders of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations and South Korea celebrates the 30th anniversary of a partnership between the ASEAN bloc and Korea. Korea is the first dialogue partner of ASEAN to hold a special summit three times. It is a chance for leaders to review the past achievements of the ASEAN-Korea partnership and to envision the future of the bilateral re

Foreign AffairsNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] South Korea seeks to host 2030 World Expo in Busan

South Korea aims to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, boasting its advanced infrastructure, prominent tourist attractions and know-how in international events, officials said Friday. The World Expo, which takes place for six months every five years, is one of the world’s three largest events, including the Olympics and soccer’s World Cup. If Korea is successful in attracting a World Expo, the nation plans to host the international event in Busan’s North Port area from May to N

IndustryNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Busan aims to be global hub of shipping and tourism

Ahead of the commemorative summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations members that opens Monday, the host city of Busan is seeking to attain its goal of rising as a global hub of shipping and tourism.Busan is the nation’s biggest port city and the main sea gateway. The port in Busan was ranked the sixth-busiest container harbor last year, handling 21.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo, and the second-to-largest in the volume of transshipment traf

Social AffairsNov. 24, 2019

Special investigation team secures records involving ferry disaster

On Friday, a special investigation unit of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office tasked with reinvestigating the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster secured communication records of the Coast Guard at the time of the incident. The special unit raided the Coast Guard headquarters in Incheon and branches in South Jeolla Province and asked the maritime security authority to submit travel records for the Sewol ferry rescue operations. In October, a special committee launched to review the ferry disast

Social AffairsNov. 24, 2019

Democratic Party urges Hwang to quit hunger strike

On Sunday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea urged Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn of the Liberty Korea Party to halt hunger strike he began Wednesday in front of Cheong Wa Dae.    Hwang is protesting President Moon Jae-in’s decisions to terminate a military intel-sharing pact with Japan and to push ahead with disputed fast-tracked bills on elections and an anti-corruption body. “Whether it be passing the bill or withdrawing it, we should be working at the Na

PoliticsNov. 24, 2019

[Feature] Independent bookstores in Korea thrive, defying the dying paper industry

People who get together for the monthly meetings at SeochonBooks, a small bookstore housed in a hanok near the palace Gyeongbokgung, may feel awkward at first. But soon they form friendships as they share their thoughts about a book that Ha Young-nam, the owner of the bookstore, recommends. “I visit this bookstore every month. ... I have craved for communities where I could meet people, which have now mostly disappeared compared to the past,” said Jeon Ji-yeon, who is in her 50s. &ld

CultureNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Korea and ASEAN jointly create harmony

Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, was yet again engulfed in a wave of enthusiasm for South Korean soccer coach Park Hang-seo. On Nov. 14, the country’s national soccer team, led by Park, beat the United Arab Emirates 1-0 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup’s second qualifying round, securing first place in its group. Waving Korea’s national flag, the Taegeukgi, Vietnamese soccer fans sang their national team’s fight songs. This scene is not unfamiliar to us anymore.In September, Ba

CultureNov. 24, 2019